Moscow Nights

Those of us who grew up in the 1950's and 1960's recall textbook images of the Soviet Union as a gray, somber place, perpetually cold, where "babushkas" stood in long lines for scarce supplies of food.  The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) depicted in those old textbooks is not a reflection of the reality of the twenty-first century.  Moscow and St. Petersburg are modern, vibrant cities, embracing their past, but with their eyes fixed steadfastly on the future.  Moscow, the first stop on our Russian odyssey, is an ancient city with a history that is respected and preserved by its citizenry – and its government – but it has a thriving, modern cityscape of imposing skyscrapers. 

Yvonne and Mike in front of St. Basil's Cathedral on Red Square
in Moscow on a night tour during our recent trip to Russia

The heart of the city is the Moscow Kremlin.  There are many “kremlins” or fortresses in Russia.  These military and religious citadels were usually located along a strategic point of a river.  The most famous, however, and the one most people think of when they hear the word, is the Kremlin in Moscow.  It was first built in 1156 A.D. on the left bank of the Moska River.  The wooden palisade was replaced by a stone-and-brick fortress in the 14^th century.  Buildings and churches were constructed inside the walls over the centuries.  Today, the imposing Kremlin and the architectural masterpieces contained within cover some 70 acres (28 hectares).  

The Kremlin in Moscow.  The yellow building inside the walls, with the domed roof, is where Vladimer
Putin's office is located. Originally built of wood over 800 years ago, the red brick walls that
today encircle the Kremlin were constructed at the end of the 15th century by Italian architects.

Yvonne and Mike walking up to the main gate of the Kremlin.  It was cool in Moscow.
The woman in the gray sweatshirt to Mike's left is our Russian tour leader, Galia

There are five churches within the Kremlin complex that are open to the public:  Assumption Cathedral, Archangel Michael Cathedral, Annunciation Cathedral, the Church of the Deposition of the Robe of Holy Virgin, and the Church of Twelve Apostles.   (There are actually more, but they belong to the Presidential and Administrative Section and are off-limits to visitors.) 

The domes of The Annunciation Cathedral (left) and St. Michael the Archangel
Cathedral (right).  In the center is the Bell Tower of Ivan the Great. 

The Cathedral of the Assumption, a magnificent five-domed edifice, was designed by Italian architect Aristotle Floravanti in 1497 – a mere five years after Columbus discovered the “New World.”   The interior of the Cathedral is completely covered in 16^th century frescos, completed in 1511.  The Cathedral was a fitting site for the sumptuous coronations and weddings of the Tsars (also correctly spelled Czars).  Under the Communist regime, the Cathedral was turned into a museum in 1918.  However, church services resumed in 1990.  

The Assumption Cathedral, also known as Dormition Cathedral, after one of the most
complex and venerated mysteries in Orthodox theology, the Dormition of the Mother of
God, which refers to the transposition of Mary from this world to the heavenly sphere.

The Annunciation Cathedral, built 1484-1489, replacing an earlier church (circa 1291) served as the domestic or “home” church of the Tsars.  Members of royal families were baptized here and buried from here – in some cases, within the confines of the church itself.  During the reign of Tsar Ivan the Great, the floor of the new Cathedral was paved with agate jasper.  

The Cathedral of the Annunciation was built in 1484-1489. Tsar Ivan III made it
his personal "chapel" and it was connected by stairs to the palace, the tall yellow
building in the background.  The abbot of this cathedral remained the personal
confessor to the Russian royal family until the early 20th century.

The “Bell Tower of Ivan the Great”, located inside the Kremlin, was built in the 16th century by Tsar Vasily III as a tribute to his father.  The 266 foot (81 meter) bell tower contains twenty-two bells on two levels.  After it was constructed, the Tsar decreed that no building in Moscow could be built taller than the Bell Tower, an edict that stood until the construction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in 1883.  

The Bell Tower of Ivan the Great contains 22 bells, including the 65.5
ton Upsensku Bell.  The building beside the tower is the Assumption
Belfry and it contains the largest of all of the Kremlin bells.

The State Armoury, located next to the Grand Kremlin Palace, is open to the public as a museum and, while it does contain several suits of ornately decorated armor, mostly given as gifts to Russian nobility by foreign rulers, it is most noted for its displays of over 4,000 precious items belonging to the Tsars.  The collection was first put on display in 1806.  The current building dates from 1844.  

The Armory is the red brick building adjacent to the Grand Palace.  It is
one of the oldest museums in Moscow, first opened to the public in 1851.
The Kremlin Armoury originated as the royal arsenal in 1508

The Grand Kremlin Palace, located within the Kremlin, was built between 1837 and 1849 as the Moscow home of the Tsars.  This enormous edifice, 410 feet (125 meters) long and 155 feet (47 meters) tall, contains over 700 rooms.  It is the largest cut-stone building in the world (the second-largest is in West Virginia.)  While the building appears from the exterior to be three stories tall, there are actually only two floors.  Rooms on the top floor each have two windows, one located above the other.  The Grand Palace is now used for official government receptions and diplomatic functions.  

In Soviet times, the Grand Kremlin Palace was used for conferences and
meetings of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.  Today, officially, it is the home of the
President of the Russian Federation, though it is rarely used for this purpose.

In addition to the magnificent churches, the Grand Palace, and the State Armoury, the Kremlin contains the offices of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin; a military barracks that houses the men who serve as guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, located just outside the Kremlin walls; two helicopter landing pads for governmental use; and the largest bell and the largest cannon ever cast.  The bell has never rung and the cannon has never been fired.

The soldiers who are members of the Honor Guard at the Tomb of the
Unknown Soldier, located just outside of the Kremlin walls, and who
stand watch at the gates to the Kremlin itself, live in this barracks.

The four-term President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin,
has his office here in the Presidential Executive Office Building

The Tsar Cannon is a 40-ton, caliber 890 mm piece cast in 1856.  Designed to
fire an 800 kilogram (1,764 pound) solid cannon ball, it was thought to never
have been fired, but a late-20th-century metal analysis showed otherwise.

The Tsar Bell, 6 meters (19.7 feet) tall and 6.6 meters
(21.6 feet) in diameter, weighs 202 tons.  To cast it, a huge
pit was dug and molten metal was poured into the pit.

Afraid that a nearby fire would damage the bell, workers poured cold
water on it, breaking out a 10-ton piece.  The bell was simply buried
and remained in the pit until it was dug up in 1836 and put on display.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, located adjacent to the Kremlin wall in the
Alexander Garden, was unveiled to the public on May 8, 1967

A young soldier of the Guard of Honor of the Kremlin Regiment stands watch at
the Tomb.  The Kremlin Regiment previously stood watch at the Lenin Mausoleum

The Changing of the Guard Ceremony takes place every hour.

St. Basil’s Cathedral is probably the most iconic of the Kremlin churches due to the spectacular colorful onion domes that dominate the roof-line, 215 feet (65 meters) in height.  Tsar Ivan the Terrible decreed that the church be constructed in celebration of the capture of the Tartar stronghold of Kazan in 1552.  Each of the eight chapels inside the church represents a successful assault on Kazan.  The ninth chapel was added to cover the grave of Basil the Blessed, a pious ascetic.  

Officially named the Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed, St. Basil's "onion domes"
are an iconic symbol of Russia.  The building's design is that of the flame
of a bonfire rising into the sky, and has no parallel in Russian architecture.

St. Basil’s Cathedral is not located inside the walls of the Kremlin; rather, it is located at one end of Red Square, just outside the fortress.  Often mistakenly associated with Communism and the Soviet era, the name “Red” Square has nothing to do with politics or ideologies.  The name “Red” means “beautiful” and Red Square has been a part of the city’s history for over 500 years.  The Lenin Mausoleum was added by the Communists and the square was used for military parades with enormous displays of weaponry for decades during the Cold War.  Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991,  Vladimer Lenin has fallen from favor (hardly any statues of him remain) and he has almost become an after-thought.  As we walked across Red Square on a beautiful Moscow night, our local guide pointed to her right and said, matter-of-factly, “Oh, that’s Lenin’s tomb. Soviet leaders used to stand on top of it to review military parades in the square.”
   

Mausoleum of Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, better known by the alias Vladimir Lenin.
The Russian communist revolutionary served as head of Soviet Russia from
1917 to 1924, and head of the Soviet Union from 1922 to 1924.

Red Square has been restored to its pre-Soviet appearance.  The walls of the Kremlin delineate one side of the square.  The famous GUM (pronounced as "goom") Department Store (GUM is an abbreviation for three Russian words which translate to “main department store”) flanks the other side.  St. Basil’s Cathedral dominates one end of the square, and the imposing red-brick building on the other end is the State Historical Museum, built between 1875 and 1881.  The museum traces the history of Russia from Paleolithic man through modern history.  The three days that we were in Moscow, huge scaffolding was being erected in Red Square – not for a military parade or show of might, but for a concert that was to take place the following weekend.  

Resurrection Gate into Red Square.  The building to the east (left in this
picture) is Moscow City Hall.  To the west (with lights in the windows)
is the State Historical Museum.

This spot marked the site from which all measurements in Russia were made
during the time of the Tsars.  For example, St. Petersburg is approximately 700
kilometers (435 miles) from Moscow.  That distance was measured from this spot.

Yvonne standing in front of Resurrection Gate and the Iveron Chapel.
According to custom, everyone heading to Red Square stopped at the chapel
to pay homage to the icon of the "keeper of the gate" housed in the chapel.

The State Historical Museum, built between 1875 and 1881,  The first 11 exhibit
halls officially opened in 1883, with a visit by the Tsar and his wife.  Today the
 total number of objects and artifacts in the museum's collections comes to millions.

The State Historical Museum and one of the 22 (21 outer and one inner)
towers of the Kremlin on a beautiful June night.  The 22 Kremlin towers
all have a different appearance, with some round and some square.

The Spasskaya Tower of the Kremlin. By 1585, clocks adorned three of the towers.
This clock has been restored many times over the years, most recently in 1999.
It now plays the new National Anthem of Russia, which was officially adopted in 2000.

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Kazan on Red Square is a 1990-1993 reproduction
of the original building, which was ordered destroyed by Joseph Stalin in 1936.
After the fall of the Soviet Union, this was the first church that was rebuilt.

The GUM Department Store, once one of many such state-owned stores throughout Russia, is now a privately-owned indoor mall.  Moscovites are embracing post-Soviet capitalism and the GUM includes more than two hundred restaurants, cafes, coffee and ice cream kiosks and up-scale shops, featuring names like Prada, Gucci, Cartier, Armani, Dior, Burberry and Hugo Boss.  

At the time of the 1917 Revolution, the GUM department store had some 1,200 shops.
Joseph Stalin converted it to offices in 1928.  It re-opened as a department store in
 1953, one of the few stores that did not experience shortages during the Soviet era.

A lighted pedestrian walkway and food court outside of the GUM department store

Inside the GUM, a two-level shopping mall on Red Square.
World Cup Soccer fever was gripping Moscow while we were there.

Prada, one of the one hundred or so high-end shops in the Gum Department Store

Travelling away from Red Square and the Kremlin, we saw many other interesting sights, including…   

The back side of the Spasskaya Tower, or Kremlin Clock Tower.
The red stars atop five of the towers were 1930's Soviet additions,
replacing the gilded double-headed eagle that was the symbol of Russia.

• The “Wedding Cake Skyscrapers” built during the Soviet era.  Suggested by Joseph Stalin in the 1930's, these building were constructed beginning in 1947.  Eight were planned; seven were actually constructed to commemorate Moscow’s 800^th anniversary.  

  

  One of the Soviet-era "wedding cake" skyscrapers.  This one stands behind
  a square dedicated to Russian poet Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837).
  Pushkin's statue stands in the center of the square.

  

  One of the seven "wedding cake" skyscrapers built during the Joseph
  Stalin era.  Eight were planned, but the eighth one was never built.

• The new skyscraper complex, an international business complex occupying an area of about 250 acres (100 hectares) on the banks of the Moskva River.  The complex consists of about 30 buildings including Federation Tower, the tallest skyscraper in Europe.  

  

  Moscow International Business Center.  When completed, it will combine business, living,
  and entertainment facilities all in the same complex.  An estimated 250,000 to 300,000
  people are expected to be working in, living in or visiting the complex at any given time.

•  The 81,000-seat Luzhniki Stadium, where the opening ceremonies and the first-round games of the 2018 FIFA World Cup tournament were just about to get underway.  

  

  Luzhniki Stadium, taken from a city overlook spot directly in front of 
  Lomonosov Moscow State University.

• The Bolshoi Theater.  Established in 1776, the Bolshoi theater and ballet companies are among the oldest in the world.  After several fires over a period of years, the current venue was re-opened in 1856.  Atop the grand portico is the bronze sculpture “Apollo in the Chariot of the Sun” (1825).  Among major premiers in this storied theater was  Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” in 1877. 

  

  The Bolshoi Theater, home of the renowned Bolshoi Ballet Company, founded on 
  March 28, 1776.  The Bolshoi is the world's biggest ballet company, with over 200 dancers.
  The theater re-opened on October 28, 2011, after a six-year, $688 million renovation.

• The Cathedral of Christ the Redeemer (also known as the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.)  A magnificent structure, the Cathedral was blown up by the Bolsheviks in 1931.  It was re-created in 1996 on its original location through the efforts of the Moscow Restoration Fund.  

  

  When Stalin had the original Cathedral destroyed in 1931, the marble from
  the walls was used in some of the stations of the then-new Metro system. In
  1995 the Russian Orthodox Church started re-constructing the original Cathedral

We were struck by the vast amount of new construction going on throughout the metropolitan area.  Everywhere you looked, new buildings were being built - apartments, shopping complexes, office buildings.  We were also struck by the number of “western” businesses that are now operating in Moscow, including automobile dealerships, electronics stores and, of course, McDonald's. 

Just steps from the Alexander Garden and within sight of the Tomb of 
the Unknown Soldier, is the Red Square McDonald's.  We didn't get a
chance to go inside, and are curious about what is on the menu.  

Moscow’s palatial Metro stations are monuments in their own right, with each station slightly different but artistically beautiful.  Mosaic work, stained glass, bronze sculptures, statues, crystal chandeliers are only some of the unique artworks to be found underground.  Construction began on the Metro system in 1931, and the lines began operating in 1935.  Stalin’s vision was that the stations should showcase the grandeur and the power of Russia.  There are over 180 stations, with more being added as the system expands, and over 300 kilometers (almost 200 miles) of track.  The stations are not only beautiful, but very functional and efficient.  Trains arrive and depart the stations on average every ninety seconds in order to move an estimated 9 million riders each day.  Still, with that much traffic, the stations as well as the trains themselves are spotlessly clean - - an amazing feat in and of itself.

The stations are deep underground, and the escalators are steep and very fast.

Bronze statues standing on marble pedestals - this is a subway station?

A female aviatrix from the "Great Patriotic War"  (WWII) is honored...

...as is a World War II sailor.

The fresh air vents in this station are bronze, with the
communist hammer and sickle insignia

Ornately decorated ceilings and bronze and crystal chandeliers
on the ceiling of Komsolosk metro station

The ceiling detail is incredible.  The pictures on the ceiling
of this station each celebrate a different region of Russia

Even with 9 million passengers using the Metro each day, none of
the glass work was broken or missing, and no bulbs were burned out

This station had dozens of stained glass pieces,
all back-lit with electric lights

These windows are located in the Novoslobodskaya metro station 

This statue honors Resistance Fighters from the
"Great Patriotic War, 22 June 1941 - 9 May 1945"

Even though Lenin has fallen from favor, this mosaic showing him
making a speech to communist party members remains in the Metro.

A bust of Lenin under an ornate bronze archway
featuring the communist hammer and sickle

Incredible detail on this ceiling...

...and beautiful work on this wall tile.

As nice as the Moscow Metro is, traveling on the system is
very difficult for non-Russian speakers.  Only recently have
station names been shown in English as well as Russian.

Obviously, when visiting any major metropolitan area, it is impossible to see and experience all that the city has to offer.  During our three days in Moscow, we were impressed with the preservation of historic edifices and intrigued by the modern architecture and planning for the 21^st century and beyond.  When we first started planning for this trip we had some preconceived notions from our childhood, growing up during the Cold War era.  Then, when we applied for our visas, we had to fill out sixteen pages of questions covering everything from work history to military service to where we had traveled in the past ten years.  We wondered what our travel experience would be like.  What we encountered was a warm welcome and amazing sights.  It was truly an amazing and memorable experience.  

This monument is dedicated to the more
than 20 million Russians who died during
World War II, referred to in Russia as
"The Great Patriotic War,
22 June 1941 - 9 May 1945"

After leaving Moscow, we embarked on a cruise on the rivers and lakes of northern Russia, en route to St. Petersburg.  More about the river cruise aboard the MS Sergei Yesenin and our visit to the amazing city of Tsar Peter the Great in future editions of our blog.

The Russian folk song “Moscow Nights” contains the line “Say you’ll cherish, dear, through the passing years, this most beautiful Moscow night.”  I know that we’ll cherish the days and nights of our visit to Moscow, and fondly remember all of our new Road Stories.

A view of the Kremlin, taken from a bridge that crosses
the Moska River, on a beautiful Moscow night.

We don't know anything about this gentleman, what his background is, what
his uniform represents, or why he has all of his belongings in three or four
bags.  We saw him purchase and then sit an read a magazine on Arbat
Street in Moscow and thought that he made a rather interesting picture.